How Effective are Culture Results in Pediatric Sepsis Survival? A Single-Center Experience Pediatrik Sepsiste Kültür Sonuçları Sağkalıma Ne Kadar Etkilidir? Tek Merkez Deneyimi
Medical Journal of Bakirkoy, cilt.22, sa.2, ss.136-141, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus, TRDizin)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 22 Sayı: 2
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.4274/bmj.galenos.2025.2024.12-11
- Dergi Adı: Medical Journal of Bakirkoy
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM), Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest), Pharma Collection (ProQuest)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.136-141
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Culture, infection, organ dysfunction, pediatric, sepsis
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Objective: Sepsis is a clinical syndrome with many faces. For successful treatment of pediatric sepsis, clinicians need a comprehensive understanding of the disease’s risk factors, diagnostic procedures, and therapeutic approaches. Our study compared clinical features, laboratory data, and prognostic variables between culture-positive and culture-negative sepsis cases in children admitted to a tertiary pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Methods: A total of 57 pediatric patients aged 1-month to 18 years who presented to University of Health Sciences Türkiye, Sancaktepe Şehit Prof. Dr. İlhan Varank Training and Research Hospital with suspected or confirmed sepsis between February 2022 and January 2023 were assessed. The study included those who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for sepsis or septic shock. Demographic data, clinical variables, and outcome measures were analyzed. Results: Among sepsis cases, 20 (35%) had a positive blood culture, whereas 37 (64.9%) had a negative blood culture. A significantly greater proportion of cases with positive blood cultures required mechanical ventilation (p=0.034) and had longer PICU stays (p=0.004). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in treatment modalities, such as therapeutic plasma exchange, renal replacement therapy, and use of inotropic agents. Mortality rates were higher in the culture-positive group, but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.509). Conclusion: Although microbiological culture is critical for sepsis diagnosis, culture-negative children may have poor outcomes. Identification of risk factors for mortality and morbidity helps determine which cases should be followed more closely, based on the severity of the disease process, and which require the most appropriate treatment.